Australia Day celebrations around New South Wales

There’s nothing more Australian than celebrating Australia Day, and if the festivities on offer in New South Wales on January 26 are anything to go by, 2014 will be an exciting year for all things Aussie.

No matter where you are in the state, there will be something going on to keep everyone entertained, so pick your favourite spot and get ready to enjoy the celebrations!

Here are a few suggestions for places to go and things to see this January 26.

For a day full of activities for everyone to enjoy, check out the celebrations at Narrandera. Kicking off with a tasty cooked breakfast in the morning at the Narrandera Park, the day starts with the raising of the Australian flag and a church service. Don’t miss the Yabbie Races at the Narrandera Hotel or the Raft races in the afternoon at Lake Talbot. These will be followed by novelty races and topped off with a concert at the Lake Talbot Swimming complex in the evening.

The Entrance puts on a myriad of fantastic events and performances all year round, and brings an exciting day for the whole family this Australia Day. All of the events will be held at Memorial Park, so be sure to get to this spot to make the most of the live bands, sheep shearing display, ice cream eating competition and wood chopping championships. There’s so much on that they will be using both stages, and the best part is the free entry! The night will concludes with a spectacular fireworks show on the waterfront for all to enjoy.

Lithgow is celebrating Australia Day with a full day of events. From midday til 4pm, there will be a giant water slide for the kids at the Lithgow Swimming Pool, as well as a circus school on site to learn a few tricks. After this, head to the Queen Elizabeth Park to witness the Mayor’s Citizenship Ceremony, which includes a presentation of awards and a speech from Australia Day ambassador Jose Calarco. The evening will be concluded with live music, so pack a picnic and the family to enjoy the entertainment.

Kicking off at 11am in Armidale, the celebrations here will open with a ceremony to welcome new official citizens to the country who will be enjoying this day as Australians for the very first time. The rest of the day will fly by with all of the activities on offer. Try your hand – and stomach – at the Moxon’s lamington eating contest, enjoy a snow cone, let the kids try a pony ride, watch the backtrack dog show and visit the animal farm. There will be plenty more to see on the day as well, so don’t miss out on this fun event.

For something a little different, you can’t go past the Aquathon held in Wollongong. This will be its 15th year, so you can be sure to expect an incredible spectacle. The aquathon is Australia’s largest swim, run and charity walk, where over 2,000 people are expected to take part in the 3 km track. Anyone can enter, no matter age or skill level, or whether you tackle the track as a team, with a friend or solo. It’s certainly a different way to spend your Australia Day and a great way to raise some money for charity while you’re getting in some exercise outdoors!